Here's the crazy way one company puts camouflage on helmets

The finished product. HG Arts This new way of putting camouflage on helmets is mind blowing, and while the United States military still uses fabric camouflage for their helmets, they might ditch it in favor of this technique in the future.

The process is called hydrographics — also known as immersion printing — and is kind of like printing with water.

It can be done very quickly, using different patterns, and on different products and materials.

It also looks cool.

HG Arts, a company that manufactures hydrographic printers, showed us how it's done.

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First, a thin film made of polyvinyl alcohol is printed with the camouflage pattern, and placed above a pool of water. After about a minute, the film dissolves into dye, which is when the helmets are dipped into the water. This is what it looks like from underwater.

HG Arts

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Next, the helmet is dipped into the dye. You can do this by hand or using machines.

HG Arts

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If done by hand, the helmet is sloshed around in order to push away excess dye.

HG Arts

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If done by machine, like with HG Arts' machines, rows of helmets are dropped through the film and into the water...

HG Arts

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And then lifted straight back up again.

HG Arts

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Here's what the finished product looks like.

HG Arts

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The helmets look amazing, but hydrographics can be used for different patterns, and on all sorts of products and materials.